OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13336, 30 January 1909, Page 3

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

(rBOM ors SPECIAL CQRHESroXDUST.\

N T ETT YORK. Becember 12 TVith the opening; of the last session of the Sixtieth Congress at Washuigton this week camo the last- annual nddross of President Roosevelt, -who goes out of office on March 4tl», to be immediately succeeded by President Tuft and tho Sixty-first Congress. The nation iacea a heavy deficit and an unparalleled estimate for expenditures, couecd principally by tho Panama Caiial construction work and tho increased cost of the navy. Tho postal deficit aiono is tho largest in the history of tho United States, amounting to 15,910,279 dollars for tho last fiscal year, although tho receipts wore 7,893,657 dollars greater than in tho previous fiscal year, and reached a total of 191,178,633 dollars. Nearly ten million dollars of the deficit is accounted ior by incro&sed compensation to employees. The change of administration at Washington lias already struck terror to the breasts of many Government employees, who knoiv that favouritism oxtends to tho remotest post of every department, and that, even Though the same political party is retained in power, tho fact-of there being a new president with a. now cabinet and many new Congressmen exerting -fresh influence, means numerous changes in positions as places for friends are t!<v manded. It is consequently not at all surprising to find that commercial houses now advertising lor hol>> wanted, receive many replies from n: present holding Government posit ior.3, but planning to make a change. ft i.s interesting to note a dot-rcase in the_ number of marriages in =.oci?tv hero of la to. Tho annual publication! known at> thi> "Social Hegistor cf Now York." has just made its nppi-arance for l°0!>. and records a diminution of twenty per cent, in the number of marriages among persons whose* nams nnpenr in its pages, compared with hi'vt year\ record. That neiccntngo refers t<> Nov.- York City, but in tho eoci.-tv «orld of the- Tnitod States at largo for tho year a docreaae of en-en nor Vent, is noted. In the".Social ]*e<~ : itrr for New \ork" for 1900, the Jiumbor of marriages is announced as (JljL , . while tho number of marriages noted Ja-it-year was 7(53. Jo Philadelphia, among tho persons whci-o names, appear in the Kegi.-tor for that oily there wore 221 marriagc-5 this year, as agaiiiot 24'J last year. In Washington thoro ivcru Ul I tlii.s your, and 132 last year. In 15cston then? woro 117 this "year, and V 57 j Kst year. Tho new iaiiie-'of tho. "'Sccia' Register for New York"' contains ■■■2(.',000 names. Tlie most radical increase is. in tho number of children between thirteen and seventeen rears old, whoso names appear in tho "book i°r the _first time. Two hundred and niricty-eight women whoso names were >•} tho-Social .Register of 1903 have died siife) this rolunia was published, ai have 219 men. The death rate- both i-l this and in other cities remains praetically<Mucliangcd. In the citieu covered by tho Social .Register Association, Old women and 7od men died last year, as against 572 women and 7'yj men -who died) tho year before. Tlie reduction in the mumber of marriages chronicled in -tho Social Register lor lt-Oy is thought by tho compilers of the volume to have been due to the financial conditions which prevailed throughout the country, and -which were especially acute in thai city. Another American football season is over, with a record of ten players killed and 272 injured. .Still the colleges, high schools and athletic clubs seem to ehoiv no diminution cf interest in tho game. In the record making year preceding the ' revision of tho ga.ir.e 2-1 players were killed and\ 200 injured. Although tho niimb-r cf dead this season : is not so largo as in-1905. 72 more ! mishaps than were reported in that | year have been recorded. Hero is tho summary, with fatalities classified: College players killed 3, injured 153; High .Senool players killed 2, 'injured 73 ;athlctic niwnbers killed 5, injured 40". Principal injuries:—Broken collarbones JO, broken legs 30, broken arms 10, broken jaws o, broken nose* -O, woken ribs (individuals) 15, concussions of the. brain 12, torn ligaments, sprains, etc. 71, dislocated shoulders 22. lockjaw 1, insanity 1. miscellaneous —teeth knocked out, scalp wWnds, cuts, 23. A curious result of tho use of gasolene for the propulsion of automobiles and launches has developed in American cities, which' is that dogs cannot now distinguish their own vehicles oy the smell. All autos smell the same, and dogs who travel in them are, it is noiv found, very apt to got mixed up. A dog may be always trusted to know his own horse as well as his master, but with antes so much trouble has been experienced that in several plates the authorities have been appealed to. and it is expected an ordinance, will bo passed insisting that some method shall bo adopted by which a fairly infcelligfjjt dog will be able to recognise the odour of his own car, and not j came* troubk- with others. New York's now penitentiary, which will W erected on Island, will be constructed next yuar.' Building operations will begin on March ist next, and 4,0l?0,CO0 dollars will bo expended in ihe construction of tho buildings. Great interest- attaches to the new city, prison, far the reason thofc tho site upon which tho penal institution will be located is made ground. After building a stone crib around the sixty-three acres of tho original island, the city authorities filled it in in low plaies with refuse, until the area of the island has been more than doubled. When finally completed tho buildings will house 2COO men and oCO women. Jt will be the- largest prison in the world, tho United States penitentiary at-Leaven-worth .Kan., ranking next in. size. The general lay-out or tlie building is that of a cross. Tho administration building will face tho pit-r, and will connect directly with the central guard house, from which will extend the four cell wings. / That Canada has been making etrady strides in agriculture has boon evident j by the reports from all the province?, and it is notable that the*old province of .Nova Scotia, though her principal i sources of wealth are coal, iron, lumber, and gold, has not gone behind in farm produce. Tt has bi'-en again demonstrated tliat the advantages of this province, both in proximity to the best markets and in fertility of soil, once it is brought under cultivation, are equal to anything in the NorthWest. Besides 'upwards of 600,000 barrels apples, bringing an overage price of 2 dollars a barrel at port of shipment. Xova Scotia this yeoi* produced 1.C24.C30 *on.s hey. B,Sf:O.aCD bushels potatoes, 8,550.000 bushels turnips and other rent 4.050,000 bushels oats. -112,000 bushels wheat, 553.,C1'0 busks Ls hnckvheat, 223.000 nushe's barley. 55.800 bushels beans, 23,500 bushels peas. 30.000 tons fodder, a Large OTianiity of sinaM fruit-. and considerable live stock and dairy produce. Farmers in Nova Scotia pay labour 12 dollars to 25 dollars a month, with -hasr<l, for yearly engagements, and 25 dollars to 35 dollars in summer, without board, for extra help. One of the -methods adopted by the Canadian 'Government for the encouragement cf agriculture is tho fret , distribution of sjuipfcs of superior serd. The quantity of oats sent is -lib, and of '>

wheat or barley 51b. sufficient in each caso to sow onc-t-vventjoth of an acre. The samples of Indian corn, peas, and potaioes weigh 31b each. -Applications, addressed to tlie Director or Expcri- | mental Farms, Ottawa", may be sent. In any time froni Decomber Ist to February loth, after which the lists -will bo closed, bo that the samples asked for may be sent out- in good •time for sowing. No postage- is required on mail matters addressed to the Central Experimental Farm', Ottawa. A notable increase in agriculture, as well as manufacture, in Canada is found* in the tobacco industry. It transpires that in two couut-ios"of Ontario the growth of tobacco increased from (iOO.OOOIb in lSi)7, to 7,500,0001b in 1906, and the crops tho past two years have shown still further increases. This tobacco has been, recognised as especially suitable for conversion into plus foi chwing a-nd smoking. Tho production is all being consumed in Canada, and has materially lessoned tho demand for foreign tobacco. Parliament, as claimed, lias made some important- changes in the tariff that -.rill operate in extending and enlarging rjiio production of tobacco, not- only for homo.ponsiimptiou. but for export' The success of Mr Luther Burbank in •developing seo-I'css oranges and other epocios of seedless things "in California, has. in recent yo.ir.s, rosulu-d in emulation of his attempts by other fanners, and vow in Illinois a snecies of corn without cob liys been grown. It is stated thnt a year ago two Illinois farmers purchased a Quantity oi' seed corn in Indiana. In the shipment was a freak ear, which, instead of tho ordinary cob. had a core of husk, the grains being neatly wrapped on the soft foundation like peas in* a pod. Mr Sconce was impressed with -"-ho novelty of tho find, and decided to plant- .nil the kernels found on ilio freak oar. To his surprise, tho o:ib p:ncl;icr 1 this fr.ll were found to bo oxaci rcj.rodu-tions of tho single o.ir. Ho lus* dt-cidod fri pi nit more of the corn next yo.-ir. and will omloa-vour to improve- it. Tho oars nrodiu-od this yo-ir yielded as much corn as those provided with cob.-., while tlu> kerne!* wove largo and solid. The oars woro woll filled. kernels evon growing among tho m"!!{. Mocu;>, lio.ir.s, ifntl wild r;:ts are ro-' ported io have boon particularly plontilii! in ;ho Canadian provinces this fall. Ono party of hunters in t-'io North' Mirasnichi district killed .sixty boars rocontly, some of them weighing SOU:t> each when d.rossod.